Parker Brennon’s ‘HAUNTOLOGY’ (2024) – Review

Anthologies are a dime a dozen these days; the problem is, most of them aren’t great. Hauntology rips that theory apart. Anthologies are hit or miss in modern times. You have to dig deep to find an exciting and unique plot. Hauntology surprised me because I honestly was expecting a letdown. However, I was wrong about this film. It sucked me right in with a twist on storytelling and introductory horror anthologies. Hauntology takes the extra step to show inclusion for all couples.

Let’s dig into this film.

Synopsis

A young girl named Venus (Jaidyn Triplett; iCarly) is leaving home due to troubles with her parents. Her sister Jazmin (Samantha Russell; White Noise) soon runs into her and to convince her to come with her, Jazmin ofers to tell some stories about their hometown.

One by one Jazmin tells her stories and with each story, things begin to get more weird. Are the ghosts and monsters they speak of following them, waiting to take them next? As the stories unfold, tales of witches and murderous ghosts throught, with a modern touch. Who will survive as the stories begin to come to life? How do all of the stories center around a true life horror?

Here’s a look at the poster art!

Let the Fun Begin

Written and directed by Parker Brennon, this movie has many winning moments and requires a certain attention span. It is one of those movies that requires a lot of thought. Usually, I wouldn’t say I like movies like that, but this was different. I fell into the web they were spinning here, waiting for the big moment. Honestly, it’s a pretty creepy movie because you want to feel the pain of the people on the screen. All of the characters are relatable in at least one way.

Another selling point for me was the soundtrack. Every song is like a modern Creepshow theme. Hauntology pays homage to all these 80s and 90s classics, such as TV shows like Tales From the Darkside and Monsters, that raised me and fed my horror appetite as a kid. That is how it felt: I was sitting in front of the TV as a kid watching late-night horror with the volume down so no one would know I was awake. The movie also features such horror stars as Zoey Luna (The Craft Legacy, 2020) and Samantha Robinson (The Love Witch, 2016). These characters were on their level of creepiness. Hauntology is sometimes uncomfortable when you watch it alone in the dark, which was my bright idea. I wasn’t disappointed by how it made me squirm with anxiety.

In The End

This movie reminded me of what it was like to be a young kid into horror. It isn’t precisely scary, for the most part. It did have its moments when creepiness became terror. Hauntology is how horror movies should be. Big box companies don’t have the same level of scariness in the theaters as it does sitting alone in the dark. I grew up in horror, and I even had to turn my office lights on for comfort and safety.